ABSTRACT
With federal agencies requiring evaluation plans as part of exhibit and program proposals and corporate and foundation funders increasingly interested in accountability, the audience research field is experiencing a growing demand for services. The Visitor Studies Association and the American Association of Museum's Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation (CARE) offer short, one- or two-day workshops to museum professionals. Good research design, sampling, validity, reliability, statistical testing, and content analysis procedures are critical concerns of research and evaluation. Closely related to the question of standards of practice is the issue of training future visitor studies professionals. Museum researchers are continually challenged to design and implement studies demonstrating that people learn in museums. Evaluation findings can be used to identify the qualities and shortcomings of particular programs and to determine whether learning and experience objectives are being met.
